Camden Garden Tour 77th Tour with 6 Distinct Gardens and Demonstrations

The Camden Garden Club, the oldest garden club in Maine, will host its 77th Annual Garden Tour on Thursday, July 16, 2023 from 10-4 PM at various gardens throughout Camden. 

Six distinctive gardens, designed and lovingly maintained by their owners, will be showcased. From a sweeping five-acre estate to a charming village garden tucked into the woods, each stop offers inspiration and discovery. It is both a privilege and a pleasure for Club members to share these unique spaces with the community.

Tickets go on sale May 1 and may be purchased online at www.camdengardenclub.com for $40.

Not only are the homes the highlight, but this year, Tour Chairs Susan Reider and Lynne Meagher, welcome Cassie Sano as the En Plein Air Artist. Cassie will be working throughout the day at a designated garden. Raffle tickets for her painting will be available.

A new aspect to the day will be two garden demonstrations held at one of Camden's best-kept secrets, a modern barn in the middle of town that sits between an apple orchard, a wooded area, raised dahlia beds, and a wildflower meadow. All ticket holders are invited to enjoy special sessions held during the day. Linda Redmond of Brae Maple Farm and Gabrielle Jansen of Firefox Farm will create beautiful works of art from nature. There will be an additional raffle for the created works. All Raffle proceeds benefit the CGC Scholarship Fund. 

1. Garden Rooms From Courtyard to Meadow

Unfolding in layers, this garden features inviting spaces—from lush cottage plantings and a tranquil courtyard to vibrant pollinator gardens and meadow plantings. Hydrangeas and flowering trees provide seasonal structure, blending beauty and ecology in a design thoughtfully created by the owners.

2. Serenity at Woodlands Edge

This tidy garden meanders across a dynamic third-acre lot near downtown Camden, quietly evolving over 41 years under the owners' care. Along a woodland edge, native and ornamental plantings layer soft greens, chartreuse, and cool blues with touches of burgundy, creating a restful, harmonious retreat.

 3. Garden on a Ledge, A Palette in Bloom

Built atop a rocky ledge, this garden transforms imported topsoil into meadowland and perennial beds that bloom all summer. Annuals mingle with steadfast perennials for an ever-changing palette, while wildflowers brighten a deer-favored ledge. From May to November, every window frames a joyful, colorful garden designed to inspire.

4. Recaptured Gardens High Above Penobscot Bay 

Overlooking Penobscot Bay, this five-acre property weaves together reclaimed gardens, stone paths, and a pond with waterfall. Lawns, flowering trees, and woodland plantings connect terraces, mossy ledges, and meadows, blending old and new in an evolving landscape that balances cultivated beauty with nature

5. Revitalization in Bloom 

This unique property is located in an industrial area that is currently experiencing exciting revitalization across many sectors, creating new connections between art, industry, and gardens. This garden has grown into a welcoming community hub, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. our space as a reflection of this vibrant and multifaceted community.

6. Oceanside Garden in Camden: A Coastal Sanctuary

A 1.5-acre oceanside garden blending two designs: Predominantly white plantings feature seasonal color clusters and Japanese mie-kakure (hide-and-reveal) moments. Highlights include mature native trees, Japanese umbrella and white pines, a mossy runnel, reflecting pool, green roofs, and groundcovers of blueberries, hay-scented ferns, and heather.

Your Tour ticket is your all-access pass to gardens and activities across the day. At each location, a Master Gardener and the homeowners will be pleased to answer questions. The funds raised by the Annual Garden Tour support the Club's ongoing activities, programs and mission. 

Proceeds enable the Club to provide Camden's hanging flower baskets in the summer, the holiday wreaths in the winter, maintenance of the Camden Village Green and thirteen civic gardens, a robust scholarship program, an exciting winter Horticulture series, as well as many other civic and educational projects.